Congratulations England. The record books tell you Ashes victories are to be cherished and this was a tremendous win after what happened at Headingley. The team looked down and out after that fourth Test so to lift themselves for The Oval reflects superbly on Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower. People have been quick to criticise Strauss's so-called negativity at times, but unlike many of his critics Strauss now has the biggest prize of all on his CV: Ashes-winning captain.

I'm reluctant to draw comparisons with what happened four years ago, because every Test series win is special in its own right and each should be celebrated as such. But one advantage I think this side now have over the 2005 team is that they are no longer in unknown territory. Four years ago it was tough for the players to stay on cloud five, let alone cloud nine, because Australia had not been beaten for 18 years. Now the euphoria will not be quite the same and that will help Strauss focus his men ahead of what is going to be a very tough series in South Africa.

It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but England just have to keep winning. People aren't generally interested in the circumstances surrounding victory or defeat – they look at the bottom line of wins and losses. It's crucial that Strauss and Flower consolidate what they have achieved because I know that when we travelled to Pakistan for our first series after the 2005 Ashes, our minds weren't totally on the game. The motivation was there, but the intensity had faded.

The same thing happened with the South Africa side I worked with over the winter. They came home from Australia, where they pulled off a great win, and didn't quite know how to react. Suddenly the media attention became suffocating and, sure enough, Australia hit back by winning the Test series – a win, incidentally, which papered over several of the cracks to have emerged this summer.

But the reality is Strauss has lots to be pleased about. England won this series with their best batsman, Kevin Pietersen, missing the last three Tests and their most influential all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff, fighting for fitness. And, as Ricky Ponting showed with that gutsy, classy innings on Sunday, they did it against an Australia captain who was going to fight them all the way.

The selection of Jonathan Trott – one I didn't agree with when it was made – turned into a masterstroke. He looked so composed during his first-innings 41, and then to come back after he was run out in unfortunate circumstances and make a hundred was immense. No praise is too high.

Which leads us naturally to Stuart Broad. Plenty of people felt he should have been left out after the Edgbaston Test, which just goes to show that you should keep the faith in the players whose ability you believe in. England have got to be careful how they manage him and it will be up to the senior players as much as anyone to keep his feet on the ground. But I believe he can turn into a more reliable batsman than Flintoff: less intimidating, maybe, but probably more skilful. And his record of three five-fors in not many Tests speaks volumes for his intelligence as a bowler.

I just hope to goodness he is given room to breathe and develop. Some sections of the media in the UK like to build them up, then knock them down, but England need to realise they have a real talent on their hands and encourage him to make the most of it.

A special mention must also go to Graeme Swann, who bowled with beautiful drift to the left-handers on Sunday and showed once again that a spinner who can bat is a priceless commodity. Look how often he unsettled the Australians with his perky knocks. He's really matured as a player.

It seems unfair to single out individuals, because this really was a team effort. Sure, England had the worst of the stats, but they won the vital sessions and that says a lot about a team. Ponting did his best, but the truth is the Aussies got the yips at the wrong time.

In previous years they have got the yips too, but they always had the players to bale them out. Now, it just got too much for them. They will come back hard in 2010-11, but for now England should just savour this win as a special moment for British sport.